Memory Consolidation

This book celebrates the contributions James L. McGaugh has made to the field of memory formation research. Forty years ago this seminal thinker posited that memory could be facilitated by stimulants administered after a learning experience. His initial exploration and research led to the eventual publication in 1965 of "Effects of Drugs on Learning and Memory." So began a fertile, new period in the study of memory that continues to this day. The authors of this volume present experiments and research giving provocative insight into the workings of neurobiology. They examine morphological studies of memory, neural connections between memory and arousal, the function of brainstem structures, the effects of epinephrine on memory consolidation, and new models of memory formation involving neuroholography and memory codes. A delightful professional autobiography by McGaugh himself starts off the book, and humility and humor of his words belie the important influence of his work. This volume is essential to researchers and practitioners in the field of psychobiology of memory, and to any reader wishing to see how a single scientist can transform a field of inquiry.